Exclusive: Shirley Ballas reveals extraordinary side effects after taking wrong dose of hormones

Ainhoa Barcelona
·3 min read
Shirley Ballas smiling in a green suit
Shirley Ballas wows in green, with voluminous hair courtesy of the John Frieda PROfiller+ range (Lawrence Atkin)

Shirley Ballas has candidly revealed that she grew a substantial amount of facial hair after being given the wrong dose of hormones as part of her menopause treatment while in the US.

Speaking on HELLO!'s new Changemakers Podcast, a series redefining midlife as a positive change for good, Shirley, 64, opened up about the side effect of taking too much testosterone.

Shirley Ballas in a pink suit by a tree
Shirley admitted some of the side effects of the menopause were hot flushes and insomnia (Lawrence Atkin)

"I've had it where I've had too much testosterone," Shirley laughed. "I've grown a beard, actually. Not a word of a lie. At one point, the mixture didn't come out right. So I was getting too much of this and not enough of that.

"But at one point, I was getting too much testosterone and I'm not lying, I had a chin full of beard. I was constantly plucking my chin. I had black hair all over my arms. I was growing this hair. It was coming down my nose and up my ears. Honest to God.

"I went to see my English doctor and she sent me for some more tests. And then they lowered the testosterone. It was at a nine. Apparently, it's supposed to be like a one or a two."

Watch Shirley's confession here:

On the podcast, the Strictly Come Dancing head judge also revealed the symptoms she suffered after going through the menopause aged 50.

"Hot flushes, my hair started to fall out in the sink," said Shirley, adding: "Headaches. Cloudy in my mind. These pimples just covered my body. Hair falling out in chunks. Couldn't sleep. Feeling irritable."

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Health struggles

While Shirley has overcome that period of her life, the professional dancer is facing another health struggle – severe problems with her spine. Doctors have told her she is suffering from a deteriorated spine and may have to undergo surgery next year.

"When it's to do with the spine, you're in constant pain all the time," said Shirely. "It's like a nagging toothache that never goes away. So, I think I have to slow down.

"All the doctors told me that I need to learn to teach from a chair. I've never done that in my life. I'm an up and going kind of person. So, I will be forced possibly, in some certain way, to change some lifestyle habits in 2025 for sure."

Shirley Ballas sitting on a green velvet sofa in a blazer
The Strictly head judge is also suffering from a deteriorated spine (Lawrence Atkin)

For now, Shirley is focusing on cutting out sugar, drinking ginger and lemon, and taking cold plunges in the pool to help with her back pain.

"When the doctor just looked at me straight and said, 'You know, if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be teaching at all.' That was a devastating remark for me, enough to push me into a place where I thought I best be really vigilant."

To watch more of Shirley's vlogcast, in which she also talks about becoming a grandmother and how her son helped her come out of her dark place, play the video above.

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